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Performance Audit Finds $1.6 million in Savings for Gallipolis

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Columbus – Improving water treatment infrastructure and contracting out services at the Village of the City of Gallipolis (Gallia County) are among nearly $1.6 million in potential savings identified in a performance audit report released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost.

“These recommendations could save about $1 of every $7 dollars the village spends,” Auditor Yost said. “Some of that is one-time, but a lot of it recurs each year. There are some good opportunities here for village taxpayers.”

The single largest savings was a long-term amount of $807,000 for replacing the village’s antiquated water distribution system. Eroding pipes and aging valves in a system that was estimated to be 50 to 70 years old contribute to the loss of nearly 30 percent of the water supplied to the village, at a cost of more than $480,000 in 2011. The report noted that upgrading the system is a significant long-term investment.

A savings of more than $450,000 could be realized annually by contracting with the Gallia County Sheriff for police services. The village’s per hour cost of police service exceeds $40, compared to about $24 for the county.

An additional $327,000 in annual savings could result from other recommendations in the report, including contracting with private firms or other government entities to operate the village swimming pool and collect income taxes.

The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,600 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.